The Ospreys have handed over a signed set of match jerseys and a cheque for £4,515 to The Joshua Foundation, official charity of the region for the 2011/12 season.
The region teamed with the charity, which aims to provide experiences for children with terminal cancer and their families, to launch a limited edition charity jersey for the year which was worn by the team on LV= Cup duty, with a £3 donation being made for every jersey sold.
1,200 jerseys were sold in total, with the remainder of the donation coming from funds raised at a golf day held at Coed y Mwster Golf Club in Bridgend.
A full set of match worn jerseys, signed by the entire Ospreys squad, have also been donated to The Joshua Foundation for them to be able to raise significant additional funds via raffle or auction.
The Joshua Foundation was created in September 1998 to provide holidays and experiences for children and their families where the child is diagnosed with terminal cancer. Founded by Sarah Cornelius-Price after her son Joshua Cornelius, who died from a rare stomach cancer aged seven, the Joshua Foundation celebrated its 10th anniversary on 4th December 2008 and in the years since the charity was founded it has raised more than £5million for kids with cancer.
Andrew Hore, Chief Operations Officer at the Ospreys, handed over the cheque and jerseys to Pat Cornelius of The Joshua Foundation at the Liberty Stadium, and he commented:
“It gives me enormous pleasure to be able to make this donation to The Joshua Foundation on behalf of the Ospreys. We’ve thoroughly enjoyed working with the organisation, which does such fantastic work in Joshua’s memory.
“Our relationship with the charity has seen us provide financial assistance to the charity but, importantly, it has also allowed us to raise the profile of the cause via a series of events that have given the children and their families some wonderful memories.
“Everyone at the Ospreys who has been involved with The Joshua Foundation has found the experience extremely humbling. To see the courage, spirit and humour of the children is inspirational and we genuinely hope that our efforts over the course of the season will have helped them and their families in a small way.”
As well as the jerseys, the Ospreys have also participated in a number of Joshua Foundation events, including hosting ‘Breakfast with the Easter Bunny’ at Llandarcy Academy of Sport in April. There have also been bucket collections at two home fixtures, while the charity has enjoyed access to match tickets and opportunities for children to be match mascots.
Pat Cornelius of The Joshua Foundation, and Joshua’s grandmother, commented:
“We are extremely grateful to the Ospreys for this donation and for all their efforts on behalf of the Foundation. We’ve really enjoyed working with them and I know that the families have had some wonderful experiences. Hopefully our ongoing relationship will allow both organisations to work together for a wonderful cause again in the future.”